Comedy and Humor

News about Comedy and Humor, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Dec. 5, 2016

Op-Ed article by The Daily Show host Trevor Noah describes culture shock he experienced after taking over television show from Jon Stewart and realizing that comedy appears to divide people in America, not unite them as it does in South Africa; warns against division, particularly under Pres-elect Donald Trump, noting that it is easier to rule divided people. MORE

Nov. 10, 2016

Nov. 10, 2016

Late-night Television comedy hosts are faced with task of addressing presidential victory of Donald Trump, who they have been assailing for months, and helping audiences process shock; approach taken by several summarized. MORE

Nov. 6, 2016

James Poniewozik Critic's Notebook discusses political sketches and commentary presented by NBC comedy program Saturday Night Live throughout 2016 presidential election. MORE

Nov. 1, 2016

Edited excerpts from conversation with comedy duo Baron Vaughn and Open Mike Eagle, who host show The New Negroes as part of 2016 New York Comedy Festival. MORE

Oct. 31, 2016

Twitter announces video sharing service Vine will be discontinued in months to come, marking loss of important medium where ideas of black culture and humor thrived. MORE

Oct. 22, 2016

Kevin Meaney, veteran stand-up comedian whose material often centered around his childhood, dies at age 60; frequently appeared on late-night talk shows and starred on short-lived television sitcom Uncle Buck. MORE

Oct. 17, 2016

Oct. 12, 2016

Comedian Chris Gethard opens up about his own depression and anxiety in his latest stand-up show Career Suicide at Lynn Redgrave Theater. MORE

Oct. 10, 2016

Jason Zinoman On Comedy column reflects on ways young female stand-ups Jena Friedman and Michelle Wolf have used Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign to point out double standards women face on issue of likability in male-dominated fields. MORE

Oct. 9, 2016

Ana Marie Cox Talk interview with Aasif Mandvi, comedian and creator of YouTube series Halal in the Family, in which he discusses attitudes of Donald Trump and American public toward Muslims and limits on roles available to Middle Eastern actors. MORE

Sep. 26, 2016

Jason Zinoman On Comedy column compliments versatile comedic transitions and social commentary on gender employed by comedian Amy Schumer during stand-up show at Verizon Center in Washington. MORE

Sep. 25, 2016

Comedian Lisa Lampanelli applies her abrasive wit to more serious dramatic role in her new play Stuffed, which draws on personal experience to address women's struggles with body image and eating disorders. MORE

Sep. 21, 2016

Elisabeth Vincentelli reviews comedian Lewis Black's standup show Black to the Future at Marquis Theater. MORE

Sep. 5, 2016

Jason Zinoman On Comedy column assesses George Carlin stand-up special I Kinda Like It When a Lotta People Die, which was recorded on Sept 10, 2001 and shelved as inappropriate due to terror attacks of following day; notes passage of time and changing cultural climate has made special's release possible. MORE

Sep. 4, 2016

Television networks experiment with quirkier, 'high concept' comedies, like NBC's The Good Place and Fox's Son of Zorn, in bid to stand out and recapture viewers lost to more more freewheeling aesthetic found on cable and streaming services. MORE

Aug. 29, 2016

Op-Ed article by television writer and producer Chris Kelly compares Donald Trump's presidential campaign to career of struggling comedian; suggests Trump should heed wisdom of Lenny Bruce. MORE

Aug. 29, 2016

Advertising column; KLM airlines begins advertising campaign that uses charm and self-effacing humor to play off public's ignorance of what carrier’s initials stand for; airline wants to raise its profile among Americans and stand out from its lower-cost peers; spots were developed by video production company Mustache and will appear on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. MORE

Aug. 25, 2016

Popularity of satirical videos by Chinese YouTube content creator Papi Jiang, whose real name is Jiang Yilei, has led to her astronomical rise to online celebrity boasting 44 million followers across several social media platforms in China. MORE

Aug. 17, 2016

Letter from comedian Richard Lewis comments on August 10 Jason Zinoman On Comedy column on legacy of comedian Lenny Bruce. MORE

Aug. 16, 2016

George Carlin's previously unreleased comedy special I Kinda Like It When a Lotta People Die, which he had shelved after Sept 11, 2001, attacks, will be available from MPI Home Video. MORE

Aug. 10, 2016

Jason Zinoman On Comedy column evaluates legacy of late comedian Lenny Bruce on 50th anniversary of his death; notes boundary-pushing style that got Bruce arrested for obscenity multiple times in 1950s and '60s seems tame by modern standards. MORE

Aug. 9, 2016

Comedian Tracy Morgan will be one of several headliners at New York Comedy Festival. MORE

Jul. 31, 2016

Jul. 29, 2016

Jason Zinoman On Comedy column highlights four child-friendly stand-up comedians, three of which were tested on his 7-year-old daughter Penny. MORE

Jul. 19, 2016

Excerpts from conversation with Indian-American comedian Aparna Nancherla, in which she discusses career, life in New York and gender differences in comedy. MORE

Jul. 18, 2016

Five late-night comedy talk shows from competing networks plan to air special live episodes from Republican and Democratic National Conventions; each hopes to distinguish itself from similar shows in crowded television genre. MORE

Jun. 27, 2016

Broadway play Oh, Hello on Broadway, starring comedians Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, is scheduled to open at Lyceum Theater this fall. MORE

Jun. 26, 2016

Ana Marie Cox Talk interview with comedian Ali Wong, in which she discusses her Netflix stand-up special Baby Cobra, women in comedy, making jokes about her miscarriage and being Asian. MORE

Jun. 24, 2016

John F Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, hosts roast of political strategist James Carville featuring comics including Bob Saget; show is part of District of Comedy Festival and marks center's expansion into more popular arts and entertainment. MORE

Jun. 23, 2016

Comedian Lewis Black announces four-night engagement of his stand-up comedy show Lewis Black: Black to the Future at Marquis Theater this fall. MORE

Jun. 22, 2016

Newlywed comedians Natasha Leggero and Moshe Kasher discuss advantages of married life while on joint national tour called Natasha and Moshe's Honeymoon Tour. MORE

Jun. 19, 2016

Jun. 16, 2016

All-female cast of improv comedy show The Cast gives weekly 50-minute performances, each presented in different genre, at Magnet Theater; director Hannah Chase conceived show as way to meld different improv styles and challenge theatrical conventions. MORE

Jun. 15, 2016

Ana Marie Cox Talk interview with W Kamau Bell, comedian and host of CNN show United Shades of America, in which he discusses racism and his suggestions for ending it. MORE

Jun. 14, 2016

John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will award its Mark Twain Prize for American Humor to Bill Murray. MORE

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